of absolute necessitie to confesse vnto men as the Church of Rome doth neither do we tye this duty to the Priests eare but hold that it may bee performed also to a faithfull Christian albeit but a priuate man who is able to minister a word of comfort and to beare anothers burthen in loue Vse 2 Secondly this shewes how farre such men are from true repentance that are strangers vnto this dutie of Confession Faine they would haue God to pardon their sinnes but they yet neuer framed any Inditement against themselues faine they would escape the iudgement of God but they cannot endure to iudge themselues And of these there are foure sorts First such as are ignorant of their owne estates and of their owne miserie by reason of sinne these men rest with this generall acknowledgement of sinne We are all sinners And God forgiue vs there is none without sinne But yet they neuer came truly to see any one sinne how sinne hath made them guilty of Gods wrath and vengeance and without repentance makes them liable vnto euerlasting damnation this knowledge of sinne whilest they are ignorant of there can bee no true ioy nor heartie acknowledgment of sinne and so no hope of pardon It is the knowledge of the Word we know that brings men to the sight of their sinnes to an hearty acknowledgement of the same to God and teacheth them how to pray for the pardon of the same which whilest men remaine ignorant of it is impossible to performe these duties aright Secondly such as hide their sinnes and conceale them yea if they be told of them will outface â—hem like Gehezi who being questioned of his Master 2 Reg. 5.25 Acts 5.3 Thy Seruant went no whither saith he and this was the behauiour of Ananiâ— and Saphira who rather thâ—â— they would glorifie God by confessing their fault sinned yet more and more by lying vnto the holy Ghost We haue too many of such amongst vs that vnlesse you bee able to testifie vpon proofe will hardly be brought to confesse any thing wherein the policy of Sathan doth notably appeare to take away shame where it should be in the committing of sinne and to put it where it should not be in the confession of the same Whereas a true confessor will bee his owne greatest enemie racking his sinne to the vtmost pin that God may haue the glory and the sinner his deserued shame Thirdly those that Pharisaically stand vpon their owne righteousnesse and haue got a whorish forehead to defend their siâ—â— this is that corruption wee haue â—â—â—wâ—ne from our first Parents How did Adam post off the matter to his Wife when the Lord â—â—postulated the matter with him The woman saith he whom thou gâ—â—est me she gaue me of the fruit Gen. 3.12.13 and I did eate And the woman she laid the blame vpon the Serpent and thus striue is poasâ—ed off from one to another Thus is it now no sinne can be so vile but men are ready to plead for it and therein hold a buckler ouer Sathans head for feare he should receiue a blow Drunkennesse say they is but good fellowship whordome and vncleanenesse but a tricke of youth couetousnesse and vsury but good husbandry Thus pay they one debt with another Culpâ— cum defenditur gâ—minatur and by excusing and defending of sinne make themselues more inexcusable and their sinnes vnpardonable And yet we haue a fourth sort of wicked men that out-strip all that went before and they are such who are so farre from confessing their sins as that they brag and boast of their vile abhominations how they layd vp such and such to sleepe at such a time what pranks they plaid elsewhere some for Drunkennesse some for vncleanenesse some for one wickednesse and some for another who glory in their shame and whose damnation doth not sleepe From whence should I fetch the charitie to hope of the conuersion and saluation of such a one Surely if the Lord giue not a great measure of repentance the very blacknesse of darkenesse is reserued for such at the iudgement of the last day Vse 3 And last of all this may serue to exhort vs that wee would euery one in the feare of God seeke to get to our selues this testimony of our vnfained conuersion By making a hearty confession of our sinnes vnto God Not euery one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen saith our Sauiour it is not euery slight confession of sinne that will serue the turne nothing is more common in the world then to heare men say I am a sinner and all men are sinners and the like these are growne words of course this and more then this hath been the confession of Cain Pharaoh Saul Iudas c. and yet were damned if then we would speed better then these did we must learne to confesse better then they did And that we may doe so regard is to be had vnto three particulars First Properties of true confession that our confession of sin proceed from a good ground from a heart that is truely humbled and broken in the sence of sinne For there is nothing can be more acceptable vnto God then the heartie confession of a sinner a confession that comes from a broken heart So Dauid A broken and contrite heart Psal 51.17 O God thou wilt not despise Such was the confession of the Publican God bee mercifull to me a sinner He fetched vp his conuersion from his heart That confession of sinne that comes but from the mouth and not from the heart returneth vnto vs againe emptie without comfort being in Gods esteeme but a maymed sacrifice a lame offering that is not accepted with him and hence it is that all those formall confessions of hypocrites and wicked men that onely in times of aduersitie 1 It must be hearty haue fled to God and confessed their sinnes when the rod of God hath beene vpon them as vpon Pharaoh Saul Iudas c. and that for feare of further punishment and not out of hatred against sinne hath beene in Gods esteeme most abhominable no way mouing the Lord to pittie nor to compassionate his creature in their misery Secondly 2 We must confesse our particular sins in the confession of our sins it is requisite that wee should come to particulars not summing them vp together in a grosse summe but laying them open in the speciall kindes thereof euen as a Patient that is sicke layes open vnto the Physitian euery particular of his infirmitie in what place the griefe is in what manner it holdeth him when and how he is troubled and thus haue the seruants of God done in their confession of sin and haue found comfort therein thus Dauid Against thee haue I sinned Psal 51.4 and done this euill in thy sight Dauid did not post off the matter with a generall acknowledgement wee are all sinners and so am I but he confesseth his particular
thrice happy is he that sinneth least next he that returneth home soonest but most wofull is the estate of him that comes once to be hardned in sinne that with Ieroboam hath sold himselfe to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lord. Vse 1 Seeing then that wee see thus the cursed nature of sinne and the miserable condition of the wicked that when they begin once to fall away from God they haue no stay of themselues but proceed from euill to worse and from one degree of sinne vnto another vntill at last there be no remedie Oh how may this awaken euery wicked and vngodly man and woman to consider that when a man beginneth once to leaue God God leaueth him and when God once forsaketh a man the deuill takes possession of the heart of such a one This appeares in Cain Pharaoh Saul Iudas c. if we should trace these mens fallings off from God step by steppe wee shall see from what small beginnings sinne tooke root in them and being so entertained increased in them daily more and more God more and more forsaking them their corruptions daily more and more increasing and at last breaking out into open rebellion against God and open desperation against their owne souls Oh the misery of a sinner thus forsaken of God! Oh the misery of that soule that once comes to bee remorslesse in sinne Poore soules these are in misery and see it not are vnder Gods wrath and regard it not Lay before these their misery in regard of sinne beseech them with teares exhort them by the tender mercies of God threaten against them the iudgements of the Law offer vnto them the promises of the Gospell intreat them by the death of Christ and the warmest bloud that issued from his blessed side All these things wil no way affect them nor any whit moue them but as Iob speaketh of the Leuiathan His heart is harder then the neather milstone that is the state of those whom God hath once left to hardnesse of heart and giuen vp to reprobate sense whose heart doth not quake and tremble to consider these things Vse 2 Secondly the consideration hereof should admonish euery man and euery woman and euery mothers childe amongst vs to take heed of sinne and to dread it as we would dread a Serpent or a Cockatrice and that in regard of the deceitfulnesse of sinne which if it haue any entertainment it will waite on thee like a Catchpole dogge thee vp and downe like a Sergeant and follow thee like thy owne shadow thou canst not shake it off when thou wouldest this the godly haue found most true by wofull experience in themselues how hard a thing it hath beene to ouercome any sinne that hath beene entertained with them any time if it be but some idle oath or vnsauorie speech that they haue vsed how hard a thing is it to leaue it Which shewes how wonderfully such men deceiue their owne soules that will seeme to stint themselues in sinning as if they had power in themselues to leaue sinne at their pleasure These very thoughts shew that thou art in bondage vnder some corruptions and art in the power of Sathan and so in danger of destruction So then we must destroy sinne whilest it is an egge and smother it in the first conception as we destroy the young whelpes of the prey For as the Apostle shewes Lust conceiued brings forth sinne and sinne when it is finished it brings forth death Wherein the holy Ghost teacheth vs how dangerous a thing it is to giue the least entertainment vnto sinne it is like a Bird called the Lapwhing which is no sooner hatched but it runnes abroad And indeed sinne is much easier kept out then cast out It shall then be our wisedome to heed our selues betimes and euer to looke to our watch that we may preuent sinne euen at the first motions and occasions thereof an high point of heauenly wisedome Text. Rayled on him Sinfull and wretched was the life of this man and cursed and wretched was his death not onely in respect of the nature of his death which t is true was a cursed death to be crucified Deu. 21.23 But also in regard of his fearefull end that he made that hee should dye thus blaspheming of Christ But it is not to be wondered at for it was answerable vnto his life And herein will teach vs. What a dangerous thing it is Doct. 3 to liue wickedly A sinfull life hath commonly a cursed death for commonly as the life is so is the death a good life a good death an euill life commonly an euill death Here is a wofull end and a fearefull spectacle of a wretched life as his life was voyde of grace so was his death voide of comfort his life was wretched his death was damnable And this was not onely in respect of his body but also in regard of his soule the which no doubt went from the Crosse to Hell Act. 1.25 as it was said of Iudas that He went to his owne place that is to hell And indeed the Scriptures affoord vs diuers examples of wicked and vngodly men such who as their liues haue beene wretched and sinfull so haue died wretched and miserable deaths Pharaoh a sworne enemy to Gods Church and people Ex. 14.25 what a fearfull end came hee vnto with his people being ouerwhelmed in the sea Hest 5.6.7 and there perished Haman a great Fauourite vnder the Persian king an enemy to Gods Church and people came himselfe to dye that death hee had prepared for Mordecai and fell himselfe into the same pit he had made for others Thus do wee reade of Gods heauy iudgement vpon Balshazzar Dan. 5.5 the king of Babylon at his royotous feast abusing the holy vessels of the Temple prophanely the Lord at the same time ouertooke him with his iudgements The like of Ahab and Iesabel the story makes mention of their fearefull ends 1 Reg. 21. the very dogs did eate Iesabel that bloudy and butcherly Queene that had murthered so many of the Lords Prophets The like we reade of Saul that hauing in his life time persecuted Dauid at last fell vpon his owne sword The like of Herod that was deuoured with lice Of Iudas that in the dayes of our Sauiour Christ had played the close and cunning hypocrite what a fearefull end came that wretch vnto at last the Text saith He hanged himselfe Mat. 27.5 perceiuing at last what a horrible sinne he had committed in betraying the Lord of life he iudged himselfe vnworthy of life Now as his life was wicked his death was wretched for besides that hee made away himselfe and so became the cursed instrument of his owne death The Lord shewed a strange token vpon him at his death Act. 1.18 for when he was hanged He burst asunder in the middest and all his bowels gushed out There is a Tradition that saith that when Iudas
not feare and expect it Now who would not be comforted in time of sorrow Surely it is Gods mercy to his people in times of affliction that they suffer not alone but haue others sympathizing with them who are ready to put vnder their hands by their godly counsels comforts prayers and supplications are ready to help to beare vp the burthen that they sinke not And indeed wee often finde this rule of our Sauiour verified amongst men with what measure we mete to others Mat. 7.3 the very same shall be measured to vs againe If we shew that godly and Christian charity to comfort others in their distresse wee shall not our selues want comfort in our greatest need as wee shall see in the penitent Thiefe hereafter If then in times of our afflictions Vse 1 the Lord hath giuen vs the comforts of our Christian brethren who haue laboured to support vs in loue and haue comforted vs ouer al our sorrowes it may teach vs to magnifie the name of our good God and to esteeme of our afflictions the more light and burden so much the more easie learne to beare them the more patiently seeing the Lord hath layd his hand farre more heauy vpon others as Christ here and most iustly might haue layd his hand as heauy vpon vs. Vse 2 Secondly it may admonish vs that wee labour more and more with our selues with our owne hearts that we get this Christian affection towards our brethren in time of misery that wee may mourne with them that mourne and be like affected one towards another and the rather for that it declares a man to bee a liuely member of that mysticall body whereof the Lord Iesus Christ is the head who is affectionate towards all his members Whereas the want of this affection argueth that wee are dead members and were neuer truely ingrafted into that body And last of all in Christ thus railed vpon and reproached by this wicked man we may see vnto what a neere ebbe the Lord brings his people many times here Doct. 3 in this life God brings his childreÌ„ often to a low ebbe in this life namely to be left destitute of all worldly helpe and comfort yet notwithstanding remaine still highly in Gods favour wee may see this in Iob Iob. 2.8 whom the Lord brought full low euen to the dunghill a man notwithstanding highly in Gods favour We may see this in Dauid in the Prophets Apostles Ps 3. yea the Lord â—esus Christ himselfe is made here the obiect of wicked mens malice And this the Lord doth Resp To magnifie his owne mercy and to endeare his helpe and releefe to his people when there is none else to deliuer I create comfort saith the Lord by his Prophet As all things were created of nothing so when there is no seeing ground of comfort God createth it out of nothing that his grace may bee the better wellcome to his afflicted children Vse 1 Which should teach vs to make the Lord our friend who is our strong helpe who will not break the brused reede nor quench the smoking flax Whose nature is to pitty men in misery hath promised to bee with his seruants in six troubles and in seauen Heb. 13. and never to leaue them nor forsake theÌ„ Vse 2 Secondly this may be a ground of patience vnto vs when miseries are vpon vs. Though our miseries are vpon vs as the Aramites yet as Elisha said there are more with vs then against vs. Vpon him therefore let vs labour to fasten all our hope and then notwithstanding our miseries wee shall finde comfort and let vs know that it were ill for vs that we had no iudgements except it were so well with vs to deserue none VERSE 39. If thou bee Christ saue thy selfe and vs Text. THIS Theefe was not acquainted with the nature of Christs Kingdome 4. In what manner which was not earthly as hee thought but spirituall he thought that Christ had spoken blasphemy because he had called himselfe the Son of God yea and as he conceiued all those miracles that Christ had wrought were not wrought by his owne power but by that power of the deuill And because he did not deliuer himselfe from the Crosse hee concluded that he could not bee the Son of God But that could Christ haue done at this time but hee would not because his time was now come to suffer So that if Christ had now come downe from the Crosse it would not haue proued him so much to bee the Son of God as being dead and buried to raise himselfe from the dead For he was declared mighitly to bee the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead it was a more glorious worke to raise vp Lazarus from the dead then if Christ had restored him to health being but sick on his bed So in Christ it was a more glorious work to raise vp himself from the graue then if hee had saued himself aliue being on the Crosse But yet notwithstanding all his diuine preaching and glorious miracles that Christ wrought by the which hee declared himselfe mightily to bee the Son of God this impeniteÌ„t wretch ouerlooks them all and calleth the truth of God into question 1 Calling the truth into question If thou be Christ where wee haue first of all to obserue How great and how dangerous Doct. 1 the sin of infidelity is Infidelity a dangerous sin it ouerlooks all the grounds of a mans comfort such as are Gods power wisdom goodnesse mercy c. and calls them all into question No doubt this man had heard of the fame of Christ of those glorious miracles that he had wrought the fame of Christ went far and neere he could not be ignorant that he was reputed the Sonne of God for so saith he to Christ If thou be the Sonne of God And yet notwithstanding all these his heart is shut vp in vnbeleefe by which meanes the way that leadeth vnto life and saluation through faith in Christ through his infidelitie is barred vp against him This was the sinne of our first parents albeit God had said Gen. 3.3 Ye shall not eate thereof neither shall ye touch it lest yee dye As the woman confessed to Sathan yet for want of faith to beleeue the truth of Gods word they eate the forbidden fruite and so brought Gods wrath vpon them and their posteritie This was the sinne of the Israelites who albeit they had experience of Gods power and might in bringing them out of Egypt and that miraculous deliuerance shewed them from the crueltie of Pharaoh and that through the Red-sea yet vpon euery light occasion called they still Gods loue power goodnesse and mercy into question as if they had no experience at any time of the same Thus then they murmure in the wildernesse when they wanted meate Numb 11.18 19. Psal 78.19.20 Can God prepare a table in the wildernesse Can
3 The time when As this Penitent Theefe at this time acknowledgeth Christs Deity that hee was Lord and King and desireth as we haue heard before principally mercy for his soule that it might goe well with it in death or after death So now he comes to the time wherein especially he desired to bee remembred of Christ â— when Christ should come into his kingdome Q.d. O Lord now is the time of thy humiliation wherein thou art pleased to vndergoe the punishment for the sinnes of all the elect and to beare the burthen of thy Fathers wrath and all to free thine from the wrath to come I know this price will be payd and this misery thou now sufferest for sinne will be ouer and thou thy selfe againe restored into thy glorious kingdome there to liue and raigne for euer I beseech thee now heare mee against that time Doct. 1 and remember mee in mercy The happinesse of a Christian not to be looked for here but hereafter when thou commest thither Note we hence That the happinesse of a Christian is not to be looked for here but hereafter The fruit of repentance of righteousnesse and of holinesse is not to bee looked for here but hereafter The Christian hath not his happinesse in present possession but in reuersion In hope and expectation are they kept here liuing by faith as the Heyre being not of ripe yeares is not possest of the inheritance but after death they come then to bee possest of that glorious inheritance layd vp for the Saints This doth this Penitent Theefe acknowledge here in this his request to Christ as if he should say O Lord it is not life for a time which cannot be long that I so much stand vpon since death I haue deserued I am willing to dye but it is this I specially desire aboue al the world besides that when this life shall haue an end I may haue a resting place in thy kingdome If in this life onely wee haue hope in Christ 1 Cor. 15.19 wee are of all men most miserable And this the holy Ghost obserueth as an admirable fruit of the admirable faith of the Primitiue Fathers Heb. 11.13 14. who albeit they receiued not the promises but saw them a farre off were perswaded of them and imbraced them and confessed that they were strangers and Pilgrims on earth declaring plainely that they seeke a Country 1 Ioh. 3.2 Now we are the Sonnes of God saith the Apostle But it doth not appeare what we shall be It is true the Lord giues vs now the first fruits of the spirit the earnest of our inheritance which is peace with God and peace in our owne consciences and ioy in the holy Ghost to comfort the hearts of his seruants and to cheare them vp in their pilgrimage But the full fruition of their happinesse is not to be expected here but in heauen This made the Apostle Paul to say â—hil 3.3 â—3 14 I forgat that which was behinde and reaching forth vnto those things which are before I presse toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus as knowing that the happy recompence of reward was not to bee looked for here but hereafter And the reason is Reas 1 First we know but in part and therefore can beleeue but in part can be sanctified but in part and so cannot be capable of the perfection of our happinesse till all our imperfections be done away â— Cor. 13.9 and our sanctification shall bee perfected Reas 2 Secondly this is the time in this life of a Christians warfare where wee are to combate with sinne Sathan and the world Now as it was said Let not him that putteth on his Armour reioyce but him that putteth it off for this battell endeth not vntill death come when then we shal be out of the Gun-shot of Sathans temptations and set free from all the enemies of our peace Besides the Lord will haue Reas 3 the graces in the hearts of his seruants first exercised and made manifest to the praise of his owne Name and that in this life before he crowne them with glory hereafter Seeing then that the happinesse Vse 1 of a Christian is not to be looked for here but hereafter in the kingdome of heauen This may teach vs in the first place to vse the world as if we vsed it not and not to pitch our Tabernacle here but rather to resolue that heauen is our portion and our inheritance Heb. 11.13 and therefore as Strangers and Pilgrims we should seek and prouide for an abiding City Vse 2 Secondly seeing our chiefest happinesse and comfort is not to be looked for here nor in any sublunary thing vnder the Sunne but reserued for vs in Gods kingdome This should teach vs to lift vp our hearts thither Col. 3.2 and to set our affections on heauenly things and not on things below nothing can more dishonour a Christian then this to make the world his chiefest study and care whereas the Lord hath reserued vs for a more durable and lasting inheritance Text. When thou commest into thy kingdome This Penitent Thiefe albeit truely humbled for his sinnes and obtayning mercy at Christs hands in the pardon of them as we shall see hereafter yet is not freed from his temporall punishment but suffereth with Christ And herein will teach vs That release from temporall Doct. 2 afflictions doth not alwayes follow true repentance Release from temporall afflictions doth not alwayes follow true repentaÌ„ce but many are punished temporally that are not condemned eternally Wee may see this in that manner of the Lords dealing with Adam and Eue after they had sinned God made with them a couenant that The Seed of the woman should bruse the Serpents head Gen. 3.15 which was a cleare promise and prophecie of Christ by whom he was againe to bee restored into fauour Yet notwithstanding Cursed bee the earth for thy sake And In sorrow shalt thou bring forth c. This we may see in Moses Deu 34.5.10 an excellent seruant of God and so often stiled in Scripture a man highly in Gods fauour to whom God spake face to face a Ruler and Sauiour vnto his people Israel Yet for his sinne the Lord would not suffer him to go into the land of Canaan I do not doubt of the saluation of Miriam the sister of Moses that repined against Moses because she was no Prophetesse or at least in that authoritie as Moses himselfe was yet God stroke her with the Leprosie Though the Lord pardoned the sinne of Dauid vpon his true repentance 2. Sam. 12.10.11 yet the sword is sent against his house and his owne wiues are defiled We may see this in the Israelites in their iourneying towards the Land of Canaan for whose sinne of murmuring against Moses and Aaron Psal 90. the Lord brought heauie iudgements vpon them vntill they were almost wasted and consumed
follow a true iustifying faith not onely a ciuill life iust dealing outward performance of holy duties and the like which may bee in a naturall man and an vnbeleeuer But by those proper fruits of faith which are peculiar onely to the elect Such as are an inward loue of God of his Word and Children a willing subiection of the heart and life to Gods will reuealed a constant communion with his Maiestie in prayer c. which are the proper fruits of a true beleeuer and euermore flow from a iustifying faith Secondly by our daily increase in the worke of mortification to the old man and workes of viuification to the new wherein the faith of a true beleeuer is daily exercised purging the heart Acts 15.9 and purifying the conscience daily from dead workes and inclining the same daily to the performance of the duties of holinesse readily and chearefully Vse 2 Secondly this may serue to admonish euery one to labour for the truth of this grace as for saluation it selfe without all which all those excellent and pretious promises profit not at all faith is all in all in the matter of saluation yea saluation it selfe is attributed thereunto Beleeue and thou shalt be saued Acts 16. where that is attributed to the instrument which belongeth indeed to the principall efficient to shew the excellency of this grace in it selfe as also the necessity therof in those that look for life and saluation This is that will stid vs in the euill day this giues vs to participate of the new couenant and will assure our hearts of the full fruition of euerlasting life at last Ioh. 3.16 Verily verily I say vnto you hee that beleeueth on me hath euerlasting life where Christ bindes his promise of euerlasting saluation onely vnto the beleeuer with the like asseueration he doth vnto this Penitent here Verily this day thou shalt bee with me c. And last of all this may serue for ground of comfort vnto all Vse 3 Gods people that they bee not discouraged though they finde infidelity in them wee haue no grace in this life in perfection and they that haue had the greatest measure of faith as wee haue heard yet haue had the same mixed with doubtings and feares And therefore it is recorded of the people of Israel that when they were deliuered out of captiuity they were like men in a dreame Psal 126. Onely wee are to take heed that wee doe not please our selues or rest in any such doubtings for that will bee maruellous vncomfortable but to labour to come out thereof and to get assurance which is done by frequenting the publike ministery of the Word whereby faith is begotten and increased in vs by the reuerent vse of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Rom 4.11 for that is the Seale of the righteousnesse of faith by renewing of our repentance daily and by keeping a more strict watch ouer our liues whereby wee shall come daily more and more to bee settled and stablished in our holy and pretious faith Text. Verily I say vnto thee c. The next thing wee are to obserue in Christs asseueration is the certainty of his promise the which to perswade this Penitent vnto Christ is pleased to binde with a kinde of oath verily q. d. Thou shalt not neede to doubt or any way call into question that I now promise vnto thee that thou shalt be this day with me in Paradice for I assure thee thou mayest rest vpon it that I will make good my word therein though thou seest mee now without forme or beauty forsaken of all and accountest thy selfe vnworthy of such a mercy Verily I say vnto thee this day c. That wee may obserue in the next place is that There is an vnchangeable certaintie Doct. 2 in all Gods promises There is an vnchangeable certainty in al Gods promises Mat. 24. his Word shall surely bee accomplished Heauen and earth shall passe away but my Word shall not passe away He is not as man that hee should lye or the sonne of man that he should change Hath hee said it and shall hee not doe it who hath resisted his will Hee is most iust in all his promises hee maketh with his seruants and will in his due time accomplish all his iudgements threatned against the wicked hee is yea and Amen Reu. 2. The faithfull and true witnesse I will not falsifie my truth saith the Lord My couenant will I not breake Psal 89.33 nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips Wee may see this in the Lords manner of dealing with his seruants as to Abraham Dauid and the rest Thou wilt saith the Prophet performe thy truth to Iacob Mic. 7.20 and mercy to Abraham as thou hast sworne to our forefathers in old time Mal. 3.6 I am the Lord change not and therefore he is called Iehouah one that as hee hath his being of himselfe and from himselfe so giueth he the being to all creatures that haue their being so likewise giueth he being to all his promises This is that Iosuah obserueth concerning the Lords promises made vnto the people of Israel Ios 21.44 There fayled nothing of all the good things which the Lord had sayd vnto the house of Israel but all came to passe We may see this in that first couenant and promise God made with Adam hauing sinned Gen. 3 15. The seede of the woman shall bruise the Serpents head what though the same promise seemes to be forgotten it being almost 4000. yeeres after wherein God made the same good Gal. 4.4 Yet when the fulnesse of time was come God sent his Sonne Wee must not tye the Lord to any time when to helpe hee knoweth the fittest and the best time to relieue his distressed seruants Neither are we to be discouraged though we be no by and by deliuered out of miserie The people of Israel were promised deliuerance out of captiuitie yet it was a long time first Dauid was delayed so long before deliuerance came as that hee crieth out Psal 13. How long wilt thou forget me God dealeth with men herein as a Physitian dealeth with his Patient when he requireth wine in the fit of a burning Feauer I will not giue it saith hee not because he will neuer giue him wine but because hee knoweth when it is best to giue it thus dealeth hee with his seruant making choice of the most seasonable time to send comfort And as the Lord will in his due time make good his promises vnto his children so will he also make good those his denuntiations of iudgements against the wicked What became of his denuntiation against the old world in the dayes of Noah Gen. 7. As God had a time to threaten hee had a time also to punish What became of that iudgement the Lord threatned against Iericho Ios 6.26 that the man should bee accursed of God that should